Recaps

Chen Ji found five silver ingots hidden in the shared sleeping platform and wondered whether they belonged to a spy at Taiping Medical Hall. After a Buddhist procession inspired him to seek a way to bring his parents back, he exposed a firewood seller as a spy and asked Lord Cloud Goat for access to the inner prison.

• Chen Ji searched the shared room and discovered five hidden silver ingots, but could not tell whether they belonged to She Dengke, Liu Quxing, or himself.
• Old Yao pulled Chen Ji back inside as monks from Dharani Temple carried a Buddha statue through the street before dawn.
• Liu Quxing and Old Yao told Chen Ji about cases of the dead returning to life, including Xu Shu, prompting Chen Ji to resolve to cultivate and make money so he might find a way to return home and revive his parents.
• Chen Ji recognized a firewood seller as a Jing Dynasty spy and told him to inform Lord Cloud Goat that he wanted to inspect the inner prison's prisoners and case files.
• The firewood seller dropped his load and walked away after realizing Chen Ji had seen through his disguise long ago.

Chen Ji accompanied Cloud Goat to Luo City's secret inner prison to investigate whether the Liu Family descendants were involved in Liu Shiyu's case. As they entered, streams of gray-white ice poured into Chen Ji and gathered in his dantian, threatening to extinguish his furnace fire.

• Dark Cloud visited Taiping Medical Hall, where Old Yao recognized her by name and fed her pastries.
• Chen Ji left the medical hall with a disguised Cloud Goat and agreed to investigate the Liu Family by visiting the inner prison.
• Cloud Goat blindfolded and escorted Chen Ji to the secret prison, explaining that its jailers had recently been replaced after the Liu Family's infiltration was discovered.
• As Chen Ji and Cloud Goat walked past the cells, streams of gray-white ice entered Chen Ji and gathered in his dantian, threatening his furnace fire.

Chen Ji discovered that the icy currents in the inner prison came from dead officials and used the case files to identify a pattern in his cultivation. After proving that Liu Shiyu had been murdered rather than hanged, he urged Cloud Goat to investigate the Liu Family, and Cloud Goat concluded that Old Master Liu might still be alive.

• Chen Ji took an oil-residue lamp from a cell and found that holding it made the icy currents recede.
• Chen Ji searched the prison files and discovered that dead officials produced icy currents, while dead jianghu figures and itinerant officials did not.
• Cloud Goat told Chen Ji that Liu Shiyu had hanged himself, but Chen Ji examined the body and identified signs that the death had been staged.
• Cloud Goat tested Chen Ji’s observation by hanging a condemned prisoner, whose toes pointed straight down after four hours.
• Chen Ji named Liu Mingxian and Liu Mingde as suspects and suggested that the Inner Minister might have sent Cloud Goat to target the Liu Family.
• Chen Ji pointed out that Old Master Liu’s death had benefited those putting Cloud Goat on the defensive, leading Cloud Goat to suspect that Old Master Liu was not dead.

Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit took Chen Ji to the Liu Family's ancestral graves to investigate Old Master Liu's supposed death. Bright Rabbit's Yin Spirit entered the tomb and confirmed that the coffin was empty.

• Chen Ji persuaded Cloud Goat to open Old Master Liu's coffin, and Cloud Goat brought him along to the Liu Family's ancestral graves.
• On the journey, Cloud Goat questioned Chen Ji about possible Jing Dynasty spies in Prince Jing's Estate, including Imperial Physician Yao and Liu Quxing.
• At Zhuangyuan Mountain, Bright Rabbit noticed that the ancestral graves had far more guards than before and warned that they could not force their way in.
• Bright Rabbit sent out her Yin Spirit while Cloud Goat guarded her body and Chen Ji turned away blindfolded.
• Bright Rabbit's Yin Spirit entered Old Master Liu's tomb and returned with the discovery that there was no one in the coffin.

After discovering that Old Master Liu’s coffin was empty, Chen Ji collected payment from Bright Rabbit and Cloud Goat and returned to Taiping Medical Hall, where he learned more about cultivation from Old Yao. The chapter left Chen Ji suspecting his birth was connected to the icy current and learning that Old Yao’s crow had been watching him.

• Bright Rabbit confirmed that Old Master Liu was not in the coffin, and she and Cloud Goat considered alerting the inner minister and sending troops against the Liu Family.
• Chen Ji demanded payment for his work, receiving a Buddhist Sect Circulating Treasure bracelet and silver from Bright Rabbit and Cloud Goat.
• The icy current overwhelmed Chen Ji at the medical hall, so Dark Cloud fetched ginseng and helped him survive; Old Yao caught them, but Dark Cloud distracted him from scolding Chen Ji.
• Old Yao told Chen Ji that the third quarter of the chou hour was when Chen Ji had been born, and explained that cultivators hide their paths because those who share a path compete for its limited Dao.
• Old Yao summoned his enormous crow, revealing it had watched Chen Ji before, and introduced it to Dark Cloud as a new friend.

Chen Ji learned that his Mountain Lord cultivation path was secretive and grew more dangerous when shared, while Old Yao revealed why he kept disciples at a distance. The next morning, Chen Ji went to buy ginseng at Hundred Deer Pavilion, where he was ambushed and accused of betraying Zhou Chengyi.

• Old Yao told Chen Ji that their cultivation path was called Mountain Lord or Dragon Swallowing, and that sharing it divided their cultivation speed and could invite betrayal.
• Old Yao said he had taken Chen Ji and the other disciples because he did not want the cultivation path to die with him, then warned Chen Ji about the jianghu and the Venomous Chancellor.
• Chen Ji went to Hundred Deer Pavilion to buy old ginseng for the prince's residence, and the shopkeeper led him into a storeroom.
• The shopkeeper attacked Chen Ji with a dagger, but Chen Ji dodged and kicked him in the belly.
• A second attacker held a dagger to Chen Ji's neck and accused him of abandoning his identity, turning traitor, and selling out Zhou Chengyi.

Chen Ji was accused of betraying the Jing Dynasty and was interrogated by the Military Intelligence Directorate's Sicao. He secured a month to prove his loyalty and learned that his maternal uncle was from Jing Dynasty, leaving his own heritage and past more mysterious.

• The Hundred Deer Pavilion shopkeeper accused Chen Ji of betraying the Jing Dynasty, but Chen Ji argued that Zhou Chengyi had died after Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit arrived, not because Chen Ji defected.
• The Sicao knocked Chen Ji unconscious, then interrogated him while he hung upside down and bled, questioning why the Secret Intelligence Directorate had trusted him.
• Chen Ji explained that he had earned the Secret Intelligence Directorate's trust by finding a secret letter and surviving Dream Rooster's interrogation without knowing he was a Jing Dynasty spy.
• Chen Ji told the Sicao he had burned Records of Reflections on Things at Hand rather than expose the Liu Family, and asked who else had passed Dream Rooster's interrogation.
• Chen Ji asked for one month to prove his loyalty, and the Sicao agreed to summon Long Whale and give him the chance.
• The Sicao revealed that Chen Ji's maternal uncle was from Jing Dynasty and had asked him to protect Chen Ji, deepening the mystery of Chen Ji's identity.

Chen Ji convinced the Military Intelligence Directorate officer that his mother had taught him a new codebook method, earning praise and a possible promotion. The officer killed Shopkeeper Yuan to protect Chen Ji’s cover, leaving Chen to work among dangerous and ruthless spies.

• Chen Ji learned that his uncle had been framed, demoted, and forced out of office, but the officer ordered him to remain in the Ning Dynasty and get close to Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit.
• When the officer questioned how Chen Ji knew fanqie and had found the Records of Reflections on Things at Hand, Chen Ji claimed his mother had taught him and demonstrated a codebook cipher.
• The officer accepted Chen Ji’s explanation, promised to report his achievement for a promotion, and warned him that Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit were ruthless adopted killers of the Poison Minister.
• Shopkeeper Yuan entered and accidentally revealed information across separate intelligence lines, so the officer ordered him to slap himself.
• Chen Ji requested that everyone who knew he was a spy be transferred back to the Jing Dynasty; after Shopkeeper Yuan objected, the officer killed him and told Chen Ji to remember the cost of disloyalty.

Chen Ji confirmed that Jing Dynasty officials also produced streams of ice, then continued balancing his orders from the Military Intelligence Directorate with his unknown mission involving an important woman. In the capital, the inner minister learned that Chen Ji was the masked person who helped Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit uncover Liu Shiyu’s crimes, while the Directorate of Ceremonial left their risky plan to expose the Liu Family to them.

• The bureau officer killed Shopkeeper Yuan, and Chen Ji saw a stream of ice flow from the dead man into himself.
• Chen Ji warned that Shopkeeper Yuan had not revealed where or when he was to meet Long Whale, then heard that he must approach an important woman about delivering goods.
• The inner minister ordered Wu Xiu to open the Bureau of Punishments’ message, which reported that a masked person had helped Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit find evidence against Liu Shiyu.
• Wu Xiu read Cloud Goat’s report that Old Master Liu’s coffin was empty, and the inner minister let Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit deploy the Trouble-Resolving Guard without Directorate of Ceremonial backing.
• Wu Xiu reported that Dream Rooster had tested Chen Ji with a grade C dream, and the inner minister identified Chen Ji as the masked helper and requested his information.
• The inner minister declined to stop the heir to Prince Jing’s Estate from gathering jianghu heroes, saying fame and fortune could cut down most chivalrous people.

Wu Xiu sent instructions to Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit, who decided to mobilize the Trouble-Resolving Guard and plot against Chen Ji. After Dark Cloud warned Chen Ji that Consort Jing had identified him and planned to kill him, he declined her invitation and left the medical hall, realizing he needed to act before she tried again.

• Wu Xiu sent Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit a message authorizing them to decide whether to open the Liu Family's coffin and asking them to identify the masked man at the Liu Residence.
• Cloud Goat warned Bright Rabbit that Chen Ji was dangerous and would hold a grudge, then decided they should borrow someone else's knife to kill him while mobilizing the Trouble-Resolving Guard.
• Chunhua arrived at Taiping Medical Hall with pastries and invited Chen Ji and the other doctors to meet Consort Jing.
• Dark Cloud warned Chen Ji that someone had revealed his identity to Consort Jing and that she intended to lure him into a trap and kill him.
• Chen Ji learned Consort Jing was connected to the Liu Family, refused her invitation by claiming he was going home for the festival, and left to plan his next move.

Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit led the Trouble-Resolving Guard to Old Master Liu’s tomb, where they found his body in the coffin and were arrested after their accusations collapsed. As Chen Ji walked through Luo City, the heir returned with Chen Ji’s two elder brothers, passing him without recognition.

• Cloud Goat led Bright Rabbit and five hundred Trouble-Resolving Guards toward Northern Mang Mountain, while Lin Chaoqing challenged their use of the royal command token and followed them.
• Cloud Goat ordered the guards to attack the Liu Family’s ancestral graves, and Bright Rabbit split open Old Master Liu’s tomb with her saber.
• Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit found Old Master Liu’s body inside the coffin, and Lin Chaoqing ordered their arrest after Liu Mingxian accused them of persecuting a meritorious official.
• Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit wondered whether Chen Ji had warned the Liu Family, while Liu Mingxian ordered his people to find out who had sent the anonymous warning.
• Chen Ji walked through Luo City with Dark Cloud and saw the heir return from Eastern Grove Academy with Liang Gou'er, Liang Mao'er, and Chen Ji’s two elder brothers, who passed him without noticing him.

Chen Ji celebrated the Double Ninth Festival with his fellow disciples before Miss Xibing summoned him to Flying Cloud Court to examine White Prajna. Consort Yun dismissed the others and confronted him about the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Directorate, leaving Chen Ji facing the question of why its expected delivery had not arrived.

• Chen Ji saw the Buddhist Son smile at him during the festival procession, then returned to the medical hall with roast chicken and admitted to Old Yao that he had tipped off the Liu Family.
• Old Yao warned Chen Ji to keep a low profile and wait for his enemies to die, but Chen Ji said he could not wait that long to take revenge.
• Miss Xibing summoned Chen Ji to treat White Prajna, and Chen Ji realized Consort Yun wanted to speak with him.
• Chen Ji followed Xibing to Flying Cloud Court, where Consort Yun dismissed Zhu Baili and the attendants before questioning him about the Directorate's missed delivery.
• Consort Yun asked why the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Directorate had not appeared on the agreed delivery date.

Chen Ji negotiated a new meeting with Consort Yun and learned why the Liu Family had joined her, while Grand Secretary Liu returned to Yu Province and confronted Liu Mingxian over the family’s crimes and collusion with the Jing Dynasty. He ordered Liu Mingxian to find the unknown person who had helped imprison Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit, then remained alone at his father’s tomb.

• Chen Ji told Consort Yun that the transaction had been delayed because Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit had nearly uncovered the Liu Family’s affairs, and he claimed the Military Intelligence Directorate had helped put them in prison.
• Consort Yun agreed to meet the next night at the Gold House in Red Clothes Alley and explained that the Liu Family shared interests with her because it could not control Consort Jing.
• Consort Yun invited Chen Ji to the heir’s gathering, but he declined and left to arrange the handover of the goods.
• Grand Secretary Liu returned to Yu Province, went to the ancestral graves, and summoned Liu Mingxian to explain the death of his grandfather.
• Liu Mingxian admitted that he had killed his grandfather and caused his sister to lose her child, while arguing that the Liu Family had to fight the emperor to survive.
• Grand Secretary Liu ordered Liu Mingxian to investigate who had tipped him off that Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit were imprisoned, then stayed behind at his father’s coffin.

Consort Jing’s maid Chunhua accused Chen Ji of stealing a South Sea pearl and brought guards to search Taiping Medical Hall. As Chunhua searched the apprentices’ wardrobe, Chen Ji realized She Dengke had helped frame him, but the chapter ended before the pearl was found or his fate was decided.

• Chen Ji realized the Liu Family might have killed Old Master Liu and suspected their ruthless actions had helped frame others.
• Old Yao reminded Chen Ji to bring medicine to Prince Jing’s Estate to keep up his pretense of treating the injured cat.
• Chunhua arrived with General Wang and accused Chen Ji of stealing Consort Jing’s South Sea pearl, prompting the guards to seize him and search the medical hall.
• Old Yao defended Chen Ji, while Chunhua searched the back courtyard and focused on the apprentices’ wardrobe.
• Chen Ji suspected She Dengke and Chunhua had conspired to frame him, and She Dengke’s anxious reaction strengthened his suspicion.
• Chunhua stood trembling and crying in front of the wardrobe after searching it.

After Chunhua’s attempt to frame Chen Ji failed, he accepted her compensation but held her and She Dengke responsible for owing him a life. That night, Chen Ji mistook several people climbing into the medical hall for assassins, only to discover the heir, Commandery Princess Bai Li, and a little monk were sneaking out of the prince’s estate.

• General Wang left after Chunhua found no evidence, and Chen Ji asked her to tell Consort Jing that the Liu Family had killed Liu Shiyu and that he could help her seek revenge.
• She Dengke confessed that Chunhua had been forced by Consort Jing to frame Chen Ji; Chen Ji took the money and valuables but said Chunhua and She Dengke each owed him a life.
• Chen Ji tallied his money with Dark Cloud and considered becoming the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Gyrfalcon in Luo City to take over the Hundred Deer Pavilion.
• Hearing footsteps, Chen Ji extinguished the lamp and armed himself, believing that attackers were surrounding the medical hall.
• Chen Ji discovered the heir, a little monk, and Commandery Princess Bai Li climbing over the walls between the medical hall and the prince’s estate.
• The little monk recognized Chen Ji from their meeting earlier that day and told the heir that he had wanted to ask Chen Ji for advice.

Chen Ji met the reincarnated Buddha's child, Little Monk, and learned what he saw in Chen Ji's heart. After charging the heir, Commandery Princess Bai Li, and Little Monk for sneaking through the clinic, Chen Ji watched them leave for Red Clothes Alley with a group of jianghu companions.

• Little Monk introduced himself to Chen Ji and explained that he was seeking the delusion he needed to overcome to become a Buddha.
• Little Monk said Chen Ji had rid his heart of greed and anger, while the heir doubted that Chen Ji seemed remarkable.
• The heir helped Commandery Princess Bai Li down from the wall, and he, Bai Li, and Little Monk prepared to leave.
• Chen Ji stopped them and charged one tael of silver per person for each trip through the clinic.
• The heir and Bai Li paid three silver peanuts, then joined Liang Gou'er, Liang Mao'er, and other jianghu companions heading to Red Clothes Alley.
• Dark Cloud called them decent people, and Chen Ji agreed that they had not used their status to pressure him.

Chen Ji settled into life at Taiping Medical Hall and discussed his unresolved feelings about She Dengke with Old Yao. After Liang Gou'er arrived seeking shelter, Old Yao offered him food and lodging in exchange for teaching Chen Ji saber skills, leaving Chen Ji surprised by his master's generosity.

• Chen Ji swept the street before dawn, and he told Old Yao he could not bring himself to kill She Dengke despite remembering what had happened.
• Commandery Princess Bai Li, the little monk, and the heir returned from a night out, and Chen Ji admitted he had put a ladder by the wall after taking their money.
• Old Yao explained to Chen Ji that martial cultivation required wealth and backing, and that even a formidable fighter like Liang Gou'er could not defy powerful families and authorities.
• Liang Gou'er arrived drunk on Liang Mao'er's back and tried to stay at Taiping Medical Hall, but Old Yao offered lodging and meals in return for teaching Chen Ji saber skills.
• Liang Gou'er agreed to teach Chen Ji, clarifying that he would teach saber techniques rather than the Liang Family's Saber Dao.

Chen Ji tried to learn the Liang Family saber, but Liang Gou'er judged that Chen Ji’s nature suited the sword and pointed him toward the Jing Dynasty’s Martial Temple. The chapter ended with Chen Ji agreeing to attend a literary gathering at Prince Jing’s estate, where Consort Jing wanted to discuss the Liu Family.

• Chen Ji asked Old Yao about learning the saber, while Liang Mao'er settled into the medical hall and explained that he and Liang Gou'er had little money.
• Liang Mao'er revealed that Liang Gou'er had once been a renowned saber wielder but abandoned the saber after his sister-in-law disappeared with the techniques he taught her.
• Liang Gou'er tested Chen Ji with an unsharpened saber, then said Chen Ji should learn the sword and seek the Sword Seed at the Jing Dynasty’s Martial Temple.
• Chunhua delivered an invitation from Zhu Yunxi to a literary gathering at Prince Jing’s estate and said Consort Jing wanted to discuss the Liu Family with Chen Ji.
• After Chunhua showed Chen Ji the welts from her beating, he agreed to attend the gathering.

Chen Ji attended the heir apparent’s literary gathering with Liu Quxing and She Dengke, hoping to clear up his misunderstanding with Consort Jing. At the gathering, he saw his legitimate elder brothers Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao among the guests, and Chen Wenzong greeted him politely from across the garden.

• Chen Ji received a last-minute invitation, and Liu Quxing warned him that he might be treated as a mere foil, but Chen Ji decided to attend to resolve matters with Consort Jing.
• She Dengke and Liu Quxing insisted on accompanying Chen Ji, and Liu Quxing lent She Dengke money to buy suitable clothes.
• The three arrived at the prince’s residence and were led to Flying White Pond, where the guests discussed the Jing Dynasty, the Eunuch Faction, and the imperial examinations.
• Liu Quxing explained that noble families’ daughters watched eligible men from behind pavilion curtains, while She Dengke searched the garden for Chunhua.
• Chen Ji spotted Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao in the front row, and Chen Wenzong acknowledged Chen Ji with a polite smile and nod.

Chen Ji uncovered that the Liu Family sought Ning Dynasty firearms through Consort Jing, while Consort Jing wanted revenge on Liu Mingxian. At the banquet, Chen Ji’s brothers publicly slandered him, but She Dengke, Liu Quxing, Commandery Princess Bai Li, and the heir apparent defended him.

• Chen Ji told Consort Jing that Liu Shiyu had been strangled and learned Liu Mingxian had given her a poisoned cup after asking her to contact a former subordinate guarding the Directorate of Works.
• Chen Ji connected the Liu Family’s efforts to reach the Directorate of Works with the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Directorate’s pursuit of the Ning Dynasty’s firearm formula.
• Chen Wenxiao told the banquet guests that Chen Ji was a gambler and a disgrace to the family, prompting She Dengke to overturn his table and defend him.
• Liu Quxing defended Chen Ji, and Commandery Princess Bai Li rebuked the scholars for judging people by their appearance and occupation.
• The heir apparent praised She Dengke and Liu Quxing for standing up for Chen Ji and called on them to drink their cups to the dregs.

At the literary gathering, Chen Ji rejected his family’s invitation to return home and faced Lin Chaojing’s challenge to present a poem. He realized he could answer the challenge with gunpowder instead, leaving the banquet’s guests unaware of what he planned.

• She Dengke and Liu Quxing defended Chen Ji, while Chen Wenxiao confirmed that Chen Ji owed seven gambling houses 1,231 taels of silver.
• Consort Jing offered Chen Ji two thousand taels to kill Liu Mingxian, and he accepted the deal.
• Chen Ji returned to the banquet and declined Chen Wenzong’s invitation to visit their father, saying the Imperial Medical Hall kept him busy.
• Lin Chaojing urged Chen Ji to fulfill his filial duties and challenged him and his companions to present their literary works.
• Chen Ji realized he could not recite poetry but could make gunpowder, and considered an explosion a form of art.

Chen Ji left a literary gathering after refusing to perform, then joined Commandery Princess Bai Li and his companions for noodles, where Liu Quxing revealed a poetic line Chen Ji had written. The heir offered to buy the line, and Chen Ji agreed to sell it.

• Chen Ji dismissed the literary gathering and left with She Dengke, Liu Quxing, and Little Zhang, while Chen Wenzong suspected he had no intention of returning to the Chen Family.
• On the way back, She Dengke apologized to Chen Ji for nearly getting him killed and admitted he had hoped to marry Chunhua; Chen Ji promised not to tell his family.
• Commandery Princess Bai Li caught up with them and treated the group to knife-cut noodles, where Liang Mao'er ate a towering stack of bowls.
• Liu Quxing told Bai Li that he had seen Chen Ji's line, “Between heaven and earth, a human life is like a traveler passing through.”
• The heir appeared and offered Chen Ji ten liang of silver for the half-line so he could impress the literary men at Eastern Grove Academy, and Chen Ji accepted.

Chen Ji met the heir and Commandery Princess Bai Li at a noodle shop, then returned to the medical hall and prepared gunpowder from frost scraped off the walls. Jinzhu, the Secret Intelligence Directorate’s new person in charge in Luo City, arrived unexpectedly and revealed he had been nearby all along.

• The heir bought Chen Ji’s half-line of poetry for ten taels of silver, and Bai Li paid him with a gold melon seed.
• The heir treated the noodle shop’s customers to a meal, while the little monk said Chen Ji gambled with his life rather than money.
• Chen Ji left the noodle shop with She Dengke and planned to prepare a ladder for the heir that night.
• Chen Ji scraped saltpeter from the courtyard walls and hid it when someone knocked at the gate.
• Jinzhu introduced himself as Song Qian, said Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit were imprisoned, and claimed he would protect Chen Ji’s credit.
• Jinzhu told Chen Ji he had reached the camp outside Luo City before Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit arrived, leaving Chen Ji astonished that he had been nearby all along.

Jinzhu recruited Chen Ji into the Secret Intelligence Directorate and tasked him with spying on the princely heir. After explaining the Directorate’s ranks, Jinzhu watched Chen Ji’s dealings with Bai Li, Zhu Lingyun, and the heir before leaving Chen Ji to carry out his assignment.

• Jinzhu told Chen Ji that the Inner Chancellor had approved his entry into the Secret Intelligence Directorate and explained its ranks, including the powerful upper three Zodiac Animals.
• Chen Ji learned that Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit were being exiled to Lingnan and asked whether he could refuse to join, but Jinzhu promised to protect him.
• Bai Li brought Zhu Lingyun, the heir, and the little monk into the courtyard; Zhu Lingyun called Chen Ji a servant, and the heir and Bai Li rebuked her until she left.
• Chen Ji returned one of Bai Li’s silver peanuts, then sent Liang Mao’er and Liang Gou’er out drinking with the heir.
• Jinzhu ordered Chen Ji to follow the heir and report his movements, and Chen Ji accepted before returning to scrape frost from the wall.

Chen Ji prepared to make gunpowder in secret, but Old Yao discovered him and demanded six taels to keep quiet and stand guard. Chen Ji purified crude saltpeter and successfully formed transparent crystals, leaving Old Yao amazed as the experiment continued.

• Bai Li noticed Chen Ji was missing while Liang Mao'er carried Liang Gou'er back to the apprentices' quarters.
• Chen Ji watched Jinzhu's agents track a crude saltpeter buyer in the East Market, then bought refined sugar and liquor for his gunpowder materials.
• Chen Ji began purifying crude saltpeter in the medical hall, but Old Yao caught him after Dark Cloud chased off the crow.
• Old Yao divined that Chen Ji was making something powerful, demanded six taels of silver, and offered to keep watch.
• Chen Ji mixed crude saltpeter with plant ash, filtered and boiled the solution, and produced transparent crystals.